Tanzania

Tanzania, a country in East Africa, is one of the largest producers of gemstones in the world. Many very rare gemstones are found here, such as sapphires and garnets of a wide range of colours. The sapphires (localities: Tunduru, Songeo, Umba) range from virtually colourless through pale yellow, orange, pink, green, brick red, purple, brown or black to the most popular cornflower blue. Tanzania is also home to the rarest variety of sapphire – the padparadscha. There are also colour-changing sapphires, i.e. sapphires that have a different colour in daylight and artificial light. Other gemstones in Tanzania include a variety of exceptionally beautiful garnets (yellow, pink, orange, red, purple, etc.), as well as green tsavorites (from the north of Tanzania and from a new site near Lindi in the south). Also with colourful spinels (Tunduru, Songeo, Umba, Mahenge – beautiful pink spinels), blood red rubies (Winza area), purple and yellow scapolites (Rubeho Mts.), chrysoprase (Haneti), not very good quality emeralds and alexandrites (Manyara). The most famous gemstone in Tanzania is undoubtedly tanzanite (Merelani area near Arusha, northern Tanzania). But Tanzania is also home to a lot of malaria, dengue fever, diarrhea, cheap beer and endless amounts of adventure.